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The History of Dungeons and Dragons

The History of Dungeons and Dragons

April 9th, 2012Games

Dungeons and Dragons may be responsible for the widespread popularity of tabletop role-playing games today. Invented nearly 40 years ago, the game has undergone several drastic rule changes. Here's a quick history of all that Dungeons and Dragons (D&D for short) has gone through over the years.

D&D first made an appearance in 1974, invented by Gary Gygex and Dave Arneson. The game was originally used as a means of expanding the rules of large-scale wargames, allowing players to settle disputes between individual squad members with dice rolls. Eventually, however, those rules proved to be wildly popular and soon spun off into what we now know as Dungeons and Dragons.

Since then, D&D has changed quite a bit from what it once was. The original rules were fairly complex and difficult to master, which put new players off. However, as time went on, game producers continued to take steps toward making it more accessible. Every major overhaul of D&D rules is known as an edition - it's currently in 4th edition, which makes the game far easier to learn than in the past.

Today, those interested in playing Dungeons and Dragons can find a number of resources both online and in print that can help make learning the rules much easier. Starter packs are also available, which can make it simple for a small group of people to sit down and start playing. While the game may have a bit of a reputation for being closed off and inaccessible, companies are taking steps toward turning that into a thing of the past.